World: 250,000th Mini Countryman hits the roads

Last week the 250,000th Mini Countryman, a black JCW with red roof, rolled off the assembly line, only two and a half years after its introduction in market in September 2010. The Countryman is produced in the Magna Steyr factory that also spits out the Peugeot RCZ in Graz, Austria. The Countryman was a bit of a bet at launch and introduced the Mini brand into a new segment but it has paid off.

The Countryman was the first model in the Mini name’s 50-year history to sport 4 doors and an actual boot offering between 350 and 1,170 litres of space. It was also the first Mini to be available as an option with all-wheel-drive. 102,250 units of the Countryman were sold in 2012, with the most popular variant being the Cooper S followed by the Cooper. Diesel-powered models accounted for approximately 37 per cent of MINI Countryman sales in 2012, even though they are not sold in all markets.